10 times a victor owned someone something
by Pearlislove
Summary: We all end up owning someone something, a favour or perhaps a cup of coffee, sometimes. The victors are no diffrent.
1. Haymitch Abernathy and Hazelle Hawthorn

**A/N: welcome to my new story! Each chapter is about two new hunger games characters, and in each chapter it'll say which characters and setting at the top of the chapter.**

 **This chapter's characters are Haymitch Abernathy and Hazelle Hawthorne. The setting is hours before the reaping for the third Quarter Quell**

 **P.S For more of my THG writing, look up 'when the survivers died' and 'The lion cube and it's kitten friends'**

"Open the goddamn door you miserable old drunk!"

Opening my eyes wide and looking around, I wonder what the hell was going on. I was lying on the carpeted floor of one of the room's in my house, a pile of empty wine bottles spread out next to me, and I quickly came to realise I must have fallen asleep, or more exactly and much more likely, passed out drunk. On my livingroom floor. It was only logical seeing as it was the only room that was carpeted.

The frenetic, angered pounding on my door was following the same rhythm as the all too familiar pounding of my massive headache. I didn't often have people knocking on my door, except from the kids, but out of them only Peeta was polite enough to knock, and I wasn't a little curious to find out who it was that was at my door at...I glanced at the clock. Six thirty in the god damned morning. I focused on the voice that had screamed earlier instead. It had a familiare authority to it, a sense of that the person was used to be listened to, but I had barely been awake and I was still unsure if it was Effie or someone else, because what little i had heard of her speech didn't immediately click in my mind.

It should be Effie, of course, because, I realised with a heavy heart, it was reaping day. But not any early reaping day. Today, I wouldn't get some shaking and malnourished twelve year olds that knew all too well of my sunken reputation to dare to hope for me to help them, and who would eventually die in the arena, as alone and scared as the day I reaped them. Today I might be going back into the games myself.

"Haymitch Joseph Abernathy! I know you're in there, so open the door or I swear to god I'll kick it open!" The knocking on the door increased, but the female voice screaming carried less authority, anger instead replaced with sudden despair. As if the thought that I might not open filled her with dread. "Please...it's _Hazelle_... "

I froze, not because the woman probably was borderline crying, but because of the _name_. In all of District twelve, where Hazel was a not too unusual name, there was only one that both knew my Middle name _and_ would have the audacity to come knocking at my door at six thirty in the morning (though it was the first time she actually did). And that Hazelle was Hazelle Ally. No, I reminded myself, not Ally, but Hawthorn. She married the day she turned eighteen, another boy from the seam a few years older and already working in the mines.

 _Had things turned out different I might have been invited to that wedding._

"Hazelle?" I called out, my voice hoarse and raspy for reasons I could only imagine.

Opening the door, the wind grabbed the wooden structure and threw it against the house hard enough to cause what little yellow paint remained to fall off. Wincing at the horrible noise cutting into my tired, whiskey-needing brain, I watched as the hunched over, shivering woman sitting on my front porch turn around, startled. Her thick, dark brown hair was fixed in a complicated knot, and along with the grey working boots on her feet she wore a tattered cherry red dress that looked a bit too big for her and carried a weak smell of mold and lavender.

She was very different from how I remembered her. she was older, bigger and taller, her face that once was so young and pure having been scared and roughened by the harsh reality of being a mother in District twelve. All in all, it was barely that I could recognise her, had it not been that I had looked down at her standing in the crowds with her loved ones every single reaping day since the year I won. For eighteen out of these twenty plus years, I had feared for her. Because I knew, that if I let her die to, then I wouldn't be able to live with myself.

"Haymitch?" Her voice was surprised, her eyes having a 'deer in the headlights' kind of look that made my heart ache. "You opened the door!"

"I have no reason not to. I told you you'd always be welcome here, you know." I responded in my still rusty voice, trying to keep it from shaking.

Long ago, when it felt like she and her family was the only connection I had left to anything that even slightly resembled something familiare, I had made a promise to always keep my door open for them... But then she had been ten, not even reaping age, seven years younger than me and still just one of the tiniest children I knew. Seam children had a tendency to be tiny, but she had been tiny to the point that her parents never stopped waiting for the day her tininess would kill her, like it did so many other children.

A child that could never forget that Snow took her sister away because of me.

A child I was sure would never even look me in the eyes ever again.

"Wow, thank you!" Hazelle smiled. It was still a beautiful smile, despite all she'd been through. I was certain it hadn't changed in the last twenty plus years since the last we hung out properly.

"You are very welcome, even if it's like…" I turned my head backwards and glanced at the clock in the hallway, groaning internally when I saw the numbers, having forgotten how very early it was. "Seven in the morning."

She smiled even bigger, giggling lightly. "You're a silly old man, Haymitch!"

By now I was very much convinced that this was some kind of extremely realistic, crazy drunk dream I was having. It had happened before, but never something this absurd. Me and **Hazelle Hawthorne** were suddenly getting along like the good old times when she was ten and interfering with me dating her sister just except it was twenty years later and her sister was dead because of me. I wondered if I could get away from her for a moment and hit myself in the head hard enough to end this weird dream.

"Haymitch, can we go inside? I really need to talk to you…" Her smile had disappeared, and instead she was looking out beyond my yard, to the rest of the victors village. Even looking away, the hurt and defeat caused by something to me unknown was readable on her face and in her body language, her hands wrapped around her shivering body to protect it from the cold morning wind still blowing.

I didn't have words to answer her. I didn't trust my voice to answer her. It could be literally anything she was about to tell me, and I knew that i sure as hell wasn't about to screw this up, no matter what she was about to say. This would most likely be my only ever second chance to reconcile with the one person I ever regretted distancing me from.

"Well, come on in then! It's damn cold out here!" I ordered her, stepping away from the door gesturing for her to enter.

As she passed by me, however, I could see her nose suddenly wrinkling as if she caught sight of a foul smell, and I remembered that I didn't even know what I was wearing, or how much it smelled. I normally didn't care, and people knew as much about me.

Carefully sitting down next to her on the couch, where she had thrown out some junk and created a relatively clean space to sit on, I silently questioned what I was doing once again. Things still seemed like a crazy drunk dream and I would gladly do anything, even go shopping with Effie, rather than sitting here with Hazelle at the moment.

"so, what did you want to talk to me about?" I tried to keep my voice steady, tried not to let memories of what have been and what could have been overtake me.

At this point I was a wreck on the inside, shame and regret and anxiety filling up my entire body unlike anything I had felt in a very very long time.

"You know you'll have to look after Katniss when she's in that arena, right? No matter if you're in or out of there, you'll have to take care of her." Her voice was stern as she said it, commanding like Effie when she thought there was a chance for a tribute to live, and therefore wanted me to help. I wondered if that was how she sounded when she commanded her children to do things.

"If you came all the way here just to tell me that, you might as well go! I always try to save them!" I hissed, feeling annoyed. what did she think I was going to do? Have them killed?

"Don't use that tone! I can mention forty-three cases when you didn't! " She was angry now too, her voice dangerous and sharp.

"You don't have to insult me! I know I didn't take care of them! But I brought these two home didn't I?" She was hitting every insecure nerve in my body, and I half wanted to beg for forgiveness, half wanted to punch her in the face. Not that it was unusual feelings of any sort, though.

"I know you did! But you need to bring them, or at least her, home **again**!" She threw up her arms, gesturing wildly as she was chewing me out. "She is needed here!"

"Your just saying that because your boy got a senseless crush on her!" I couldn't help it, I had to point it out. Gale had loved Katniss since the day they met and there wasn't a person round here who didn't know it. They also knew he was without a chance.

"You had a senseless crush on **my** sister since before **I** was born. Please tell me how okay you were after she **died**!" Her words were dripping with sarcasm, but also real hurt.

For a moment, there was nothing but silence, because they both knew they took a step too far, and I was slowly reaching out for an half-empty bottle of wine I had spotted when i first stepped into the room. My hand found its grip around the throat of the bottle, and I was about to take a sip, when it was knocked out of my hand.

"No! Don't you dare, Haymitch! This is **exactly** why I am here, because I can't let you do this anymore. I can't let you fumble and cause Iris and Primrose Everdeen to loose their daughter and sister! And I **certainly** can't let my boy lose his best friend and love. It's not fair and I know you don't want to have to carry them on your conscious, like you do with everyone of us others!"

When Hazelle finally finished she was out of breath, and I was baffled. For the first time in a long time i was starting to see some of the girl I very well remembered from when she was younger. She had always been a fierce, fiery soul, going in and doing things hell bent on success. I didn't think she was going to let me off the hook this.

I was out of excuses and she was out of patience.

"Look, I want to help them,I really do. And I'm serious about it." I said, not knowing what else to say.

"Yes, it sure. That's why you were reaching for a drink." Hazelle said, her voice showing how grossed out she was. "You listen to me, Haymitch, and you listen **good.** Your going to protect Katniss. You **owe** me this!"

"Hey, me wanting a drink right now is on you! Though the other ones from last night are my own fault I guess…" I slowly trailed off as I realised what I was saying, but I soon made my voice heard again. "And I will do what you say! I want nothing more than to bring Katniss home, too, and i will do all that i can. I will be like a mentor should….and i'll stay away from booze."

I knew I owned her. I killed her sister, her everything, and for that I had to at least try to bring someone else's sister home. I could clearly see that it was someone else than just Gale she felt strongly for regarding this. She identified with Prim, not wanting her to experience what she did, and as a dear friend of Mrs . Everdeen, she more than anyone knew what all this was doing to the poor woman.

Hearing me resure her that I would recognise our my debt to her and do what I could to help Katniss made her lit up like a sun. She smiled and even went as far as to hug me, not the first time this morning reminding me of back when she was just a child.

It made me smile as well. It felt good to be good for ones, and even though I was most likely going to fight a lost battle, it made all the difference when I had a reason to try, a motivation unlike anything i had had in a long time.

"Thank you Haymitch! I knew you would come around!" Hazelle smiled

"S'alright. But you better get going, before Effie comes here and catch us together." I laughed, not bitter and ironic, but in a true feeling of happiness and humour. "Trust me when is say that it's an undesired situation!"


	2. Beetee Latier and Brutus Remus

**A/N Okay I went on a 2 day frenzy and wrote and edited as fast as I could while my inspiration lasted. This story is about Brutus and Beetee and some unseen interactions between them.**

 **Characters: Beetee and Brutus**

 **Placement in time and space. inside the arena in the 3 quarter quell**

At the same time as the wire snaps, I just _know_ that something happened, that the plan failed somewhere and the careers would soon be on their way. I just hoped that Katniss and Johanna would be okay, it pained me too much to imagine them being slayed by the careers and I told myself not even careers could knock down Johanna Mason and Katniss Everdeen because it was the only thing that could ease my worries.

"You okay Beete?" It's Finnick asking, both him and Peeta standing guard and watching out for careers. They're obviously tense, understanding as much as me that something went wrong and that there's going to be a battle soon.

"I'm fine" The words barely have the time to pass my lips before your interrupted by Peeta screaming in alarm.

"Careers, to the left!" Peeta's screaming, pointing to to your side where suddenly Enobaria and Brutus have appeared, big and intimidating as their sprinting up the hill to the lightning tree, where all three of you are already waiting for them.

Peeta and Finnick rush over there to take on one of them each, Peeta takign the slightly smaller Enobaria and Finnick the much bigger Brutus, trying to get as close to a fair fight as you can with two young boys from four and twelve fighting two older careers from District two. At the same time, your just trying to figure out what you can do in a direct combat situation, which normally wouldn't be much and even less so when your still weakened from being stabbed in the back, literally.

Somehow, Brutus manage to get past Finnick, the distraction meaning that Peeta lost focus in his very even battle against Enobaria and suddenly Finnick is forced to ignore Brutus to be able to try and stop Peeta from being mangled by his opponent who now gained the upper hand in the fight, taking advantage of hi momentary confusion.

All you hear is Finnick screaming a measly warning, and then you see Brutus coming for you, running with his spear held high in his arm, all ready to be thrown and impale your body at any moment, assuming that the aim is right, which you don't doubt for a second that it'll be.

So you run, because by now you're sure it's your only option, to run away and into the jungle outside the clearing and hoping to lose him.

Once you started running your not sure what particular direction your going, just damn sure that Brutus is definitely chasing you as quick as he can and you wonder why he haven't catched up already, when you're nothing more than a not as fit as he would wish nerd and he's a huge gigant made of nothing but power and super strong muscles.

Suddenly there's a fallen tree in your way that you of course don't see because your glasses are broken and if they were no good when they were hole they're worse when they're broken.

Your legs are up against the trunk of the tree, getting scraped and cut by the bark as you continue falling, over the tree and down on the other side, you body colliding with the less than soft ground and filling all of you with an intense feeling of pain.

You don't think you can get up, at least not fast enough, and for a few moment you consider if it's really worth it. You lost Wiress, your love, you soul mate and the only child you ever thought you'd kill yourself if she didn't make it out of the arena. She had meant that much to you, and now all of sudden she was gone.

"Beetee!" Finnick's screaming for you, but his voice is low and you know he's far away, much further away than Brutus would be. You consider trying to answer him anyway, but then there's a hand sneaking around your neck and you know for a fact that it must be Brutus, having catched up with you and finally intending to kill you.

"Just get it over with" You mumble, closing your eyes and preparing for your inevitable death.

But it doesn't happen.

After you say what you assumed would be your last words, the arm around your neck let go as quickly as it took hold, and you can hear the person backing away from you, breaking twigs and stomping down bushes as he move further away without actually having done anything.

"I'm not going to kill you." Brutus voice sound so sad and unlike him that you force yourself to turn around just so that you can look at his face and make sure it's really him. To your own surprise, it is.

"What?" You ask in disbelief, not knowing why a career would possibly pass up on the chance to kill someone. "You can't win if you let me keep living. Besides, it doesn't matter. I've already lost everything I had to fight for."

Brutus face twist, his frown deepening and the entirety of his expression turning it to something that could almost be read as shameful regret.

"I'm sorry." He says. "I told them not to kill her. I fucking told them but they didn't listen and now…" It looks like he's going to go cry and you don't know what to do because a career never cries, especially not when he's supposed to be killing someone.

"She's dead" When you say it you make sound much less important than Brutus would have, and you once more consider why he hasn't killed you yet, why they can't just get it over with, but at the same time you know that it was the only way you could have said such a sentence out loud.

"I didn't mean for you to be left, damn well I told them to kill both or none, but they didn't fucking listen and I should have known, should have done it myself!" Brutus is so very angry, borderline screaming and making everything feel absolutely wrong.

"So you're going to kill me now? Yourself?" You can't help but hear how hopeful you sound, and you can see the disgust in his eyes.

"No. I owe you one for what happened with Wiress, so consider this me repaying it." And with that, Brutus took of into the forest, most likely to find his District partner.

"Beetee!" The next person screaming us Peeta, and you can see him come running through the forest, almost tripping on something every ten steps due to his recreated leg. I smile remembering that it was actually my invention. "You okay? Where's Brutus? Finnick swore he took off after you."

"I'm fine." I smile even though nothing is better, because for the first and probably last time ever Brutus did me a solid. "And Brutus never came here. I suggest he might have gotten lost or did a wrong turn somewhere. He never came anyway."

You don't know why you lie. Maybe it's to preserve Brutus dignity, because you can't imagine the shame in being a career that didn't kill, or maybe it's because deep down you never hated him, you pitied him. You still remember that mad little boy that they pulled out of the arena covered head to toe in blood, shaking and screaming at anyone coming even remotely close. 'I'll kill you too, I swear. I'm the one that's going to live!", he screamed, and no one came close, not even his own mentor. He was a career victor now, and thus no one cared for him any more. You had people by your side from the start and all until the end, but Brutus, Brutus started his life alone, and would end his life alone.

Yet he managed to care enough himself to not want you to be left here alone, and to be riddled by guilt when you were left all the same, repaying you by not killing you when he so clearly should have. He managed to see beyond himself, and the way people threatened him, and think differently of it all. he managed to be more than just a victor from a career district.


End file.
